Rural/Farming / Public News Service

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wisconsin had 64,400 farms in 2020, down 500 from 2019. (Adobe Stock)

Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Help is Available for WI Farmers Facing Mental-Health Challenges

From inflation to climate change, Wisconsin farmers face numerous sources of stress that can't help but affect their health. And one program is …

RAFI-USA launched the Fresh Bucks consumer incentive program in 2015, in partnership with the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust. The Double Bucks incentive program began in 2019. (Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

NC Farmers’ Markets Double Buying Power for Food-Insecure Households

People in North Carolina who need to stretch every dollar spent on food can get double the value of fresh produce and other goods through government a…

A plan to update the Coos Bay port could make it among the top ten busiest in the country. (mdurson/Adobe Stock)

Tuesday, May 24, 2022

Infrastructure Funds for Port Could Boost Rural OR Community

Funding from the infrastructure measure Congress passed last year could benefit a struggling rural community in Oregon. Lawmakers in the state have …

Maine's Climate Action Plan cites supply disruptions during the pandemic as a wake-up call to improve the state's local food systems. (Adobe Stock)

Maine Seeks Proposals to Increase Access to Local Food

Maine is seeking proposals for a grant opportunity to support local food producers and production and assist low-income residents in accessing local f…

In New Mexico, 32% of roads are in poor condition and each motorist pays $767 per year in costs due to driving on roads in need of repair, according to the 2021 Report Card for America's Infrastructure. (suwichanpralomram/Pixabay)

USDA Pilot Program Launches in Nine NM Counties

New Mexico will be one of the first states to receive help from the Rural Partners Network, a new government initiative aiming to reset the way …

Overtime pay will be phased in for farmworkers in Oregon over the next five years. (Bob/Adobe Stock)

Farmworkers Rights a Ballot Issue as OR Primary Approaches

Ballots are due for Oregon's primary election on Tuesday, and one key issue for voters is the rights of workers who grow the state's food. …

The pandemic and a strong job market have reduced college enrollment - but studies show college graduates will earn nearly $1 million more over the course of their careers. (viviandu/dailycal.org)

College Degree Increasingly Requires Part-Time Job

Many U.S. college degree programs can take years of full-time study, a serious time crunch for working adults. That's why more universities are …

Four meat companies - Cargill, Tyson Foods, JBS and National Beef Packing - control about 70% of the beef market in the United States. (agnormark/Adobe Stock)

Fed Funds for Small MT Meat Processors Fend off Industry Consolidation

Small Montana meat processors are on the front lines against the large companies that control the industry. Funding from the American Rescue Plan is …

Staff prepare to vaccinate North Carolina residents at a pop-up clinic run by the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO. (Christiana Wagner/FLOC)

Mobile COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Gears Up for Influx of NC Migrant Workers

An all-volunteer vaccine clinic run by a farmworkers' union says it's expecting an increase in demand from seasonal migrant workers who want to be vac…

Supporters of storing carbon emissions from ethanol plants underground tout the benefits in the threat of climate change. But opponents say it would likely result in greater reliance on fossil fuels. (Adobe Stock)

ND Landowners Build Opposition to Land Use for Carbon Pipeline

The list of North Dakota counties voicing concerns about a proposed carbon-emissions pipeline is growing longer. Several are now on record opposing …

In addition to herd losses, North Dakota ranchers say they used up extra resources to try and keep their livestock alive during April's severe snowstorms. (Adobe Stock)

In Snowstorm Aftermath, ND Cattle Producers Urged to Seek Aid

North Dakota ranchers are still assessing their losses from the spring snowstorms. They are being urged to tap into federal relief, and some are …

With access to land ownership and other barriers in place for America's small farms, cooperatives are seen as a way to give them back some of the market power they've lost over the decades. (Adobe Stock)

Fairness in Farming: Seed Money Sought for Starting Co-ops

Farmer cooperatives allow producers to pool resources together to get a better bang for their buck. While they have been around for generations…

Save the Children's elementary school-age literacy programs reached more than 12,500 children across rural America, including in Washington state. (Save the Children)

Ed Program Helps WA Kids Falling Behind from School Disruptions

School disruptions from the pandemic have threatened to leave Washington students behind, but there are efforts to ensure they stay on track…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

Rural Hospitals Up Their Care Game for Stroke Patients

Despite a more challenging environment, rural hospitals still are finding ways to provide critical care. That includes stroke patients, and South …

Farmers face pressure to reduce harmful runoff through conservation practices. But a new report warns that, as factory farmers eat up more cost-sharing funds, smaller producers will be reluctant to apply for aid. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Most Farmers Shut Out by Conservation Programs

By Bryce Oates Broadcast version by Mike Moen Reporting for the Daily Yonder-Iowa News Service Collaboration Many farmers who apply for federal fund…

According to a news release, the total cost of acquiring and updating Lick Run Farm will be about $426,000. (Adobe Stock)

Fundraising Effort Seeks to Bring Fresh Produce to Virginia Food Desert

New farmers looking to enter the agriculture industry face significant barriers, but one fundraising effort hopes to provide enough funding to leap …

A storytelling project in the desert Southwest demonstrated the resiliency of local food production versus reliance on the industrial food system. (Courtesy Michelle Carreon)

Desert Southwest Shows Resilience in Feeding Families Amid COVID-19

When a nonprofit food center in the desert Southwest began a project to chronicle challenges of land and water access combined with climate change…

The Spire STL pipeline connects into the larger Rockies Express Pipeline, which stretches 1,700 miles across eight states. (Adobe Stock)

Pipeline Through MO in Limbo After SCOTUS Declines to Hear Appeal

A 65-mile gas pipeline through eastern Missouri is in limbo after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to consider reinstating federal authorization for …

It's estimated that every dollar spent at farmers markets generates $3 in economic activity, and tends to stay in Nebraska, unlike at grocery chains. (Adobe Stock)

Program Doubles Food Budget for SNAP Participants at Farmers Markets

One sign of springtime in Nebraska is the return of local farmers markets, and families participating in SNAP - the program formerly known as food …

Pennsylvanians who suspect their poultry is infected with avian influenza can report concerns 24 hours a day, seven days a week to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic<br />Services at 717-772-2852, option 1. (Adobe Stock) — Pennsylvanians who suspect their poultry is infected with avian influenza can report concerns 24 hours a day, seven days a week to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic
Services at 717-772-2852, option 1. (Adobe Stock)

Highly Pathogenic Avian Flu Found at Lancaster County Poultry Farm

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture has confirmed a positive case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in a flock of commercial layer chickens …

According to the most recent data from the USDA, there were only 1,865 farmers of color in Virginia as of 2017, about 4% of the state's total. (Adobe Stock)

Panel Highlights Ways for Farmers to Tap Into Federal Aid

The federal Farm Service Agency provides loans and financial support to farmers across Virginia and the nation, and experts are encouraging farmers …

Save the Children has partnered with farmers to make boxes of fruits and vegetables available to low-income rural families. (Cavan/Adobeststock)

Rural Kids’ Food Programs Ramp Up for Summer

One might think that food insecurity would improve as California recovers from the pandemic - but advocates say hunger remains a significant issue…

Private landowners in farming communities and environmental groups have mounted heavy opposition to proposed carbon-capture pipelines in Iowa. (Adobe Stock)

As IA Session Winds Down, Eminent-Domain Question Lingers

Iowa's legislative session could wrap up this month, but one of the unresolved issues surrounds landowner rights that intersect with proposed …

Just four meat-processing giants control more than 80% of the beef industry and more than 60% of the pork industry. A report says this enables them to dictate prices that both flatten returns for farmers and ranchers and inflate prices for consumers at the meat counter. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Corporate Profiteering Fueling Inflation

A new report confirms what it said CEOs have been telling shareholders for months: Inflation has been very good for business. Lindsay Owens…

The Summer Nutrition Program provides free meals and snacks to all Utah children 18 and younger when school is not in session. (Sandra Cunningham/Adobe Stock)

Looming End to Pandemic Waivers Puts Utah Kids at Risk of Hunger

Federal waivers put in place at the height of the pandemic allowed federal child nutrition programs more flexibility in delivering meals to households…

The latest bird flu outbreak in the United States has forced farmers to kill several million chickens across the country. (Adobe Stock)

From Big Farms to Smaller Producers, Tracing the Bird Flu Impact

At least two dozen states are seeing the bird flu virus quickly spread through commercial flocks on poultry-producing farms. Iowa is at the center …

SD Farmers Brace for Bird Flu Impact

At least two dozen states, including South Dakota, are seeing the bird flu virus quickly spread through commercial flocks on poultry producing farms…

Taxpayer subsidies to the fossil-fuel industry have been used to fund disinformation campaigns on climate, and lobbying efforts to stall transitioning to clean-energy sources. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Not Too Late to Resolve Climate Crisis

Burning fossil fuels at current rates is expected to produce mass extinctions and other catastrophic outcomes, but a brighter future is possible if …

A new Colorado private-land conservation plan aims to align and integrate with other statewide plans that have climate action components that support water, wildlife, recreation and agriculture. (Adobe Stock)

Colorado Private Landowners Key to Climate Resiliency

More frequent and exponentially larger wildfires and prolonged drought already are impacting Colorado's agricultural lands and regional economies…

Supporters of Iowa's Watershed Management Authorities say they empower local leaders to make the best decisions for their communities when it comes to flood mitigation and conservation. (Adobe Stock)

Without State Help, IA Loses Local Flood-Prevention Staff

Iowa is in danger of losing momentum for local coordination of flood prevention projects. That's the prediction of groups with ties to Watershed …

Numerous studies have shown that when children are given healthy food, they do better in school and stay healthier overall. (Adobe Stock)

Children’s Advocates Urge Lawmakers to Extend School Meals for All

Federal COVID relief funds that helped expand access to school meals for all kids regardless of their ability to pay are set to expire in June…

In 2021, three endangered grizzly bears were killed through the USDA's Wildlife Services program. Of more than 400,000 wild animals killed, at least 2,700 were killed unintentionally. (Adobe Stock)

USDA’s Wildlife Services Killed More Than 400,000 Native Wildlife in 2021

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report on its wildlife killing program, which aims to reduce the loss of livestock to carnivores…

Rising food costs have prompted a closer look at strengthening local and regional supply chain infrastructure for small farms across North Carolina. (Adobe Stock)

As Costs Rise, Opportunities Dwindle for NC Small Farmers

Advocates for small farms and ranches in North Carolina say the businesses are ready to bring local, affordable meats and produce to residents…

Visitors to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in April might also notice workers with picket signs, protesting working conditions in the tulip fields. (Community to Community Development)

Tulips Aren't Blooming for Farmworkers in WA's Skagit Valley

The tulips in Skagit Valley may be blooming, but the farmworkers tending to them say there are serious issues with working conditions. About 70 …

The Midwest GRIT program is a joint project between the Wisconsin-based Michael Fields Agricultural Institute and the Artisan Grain Collaborative, which aims to diversify the Midwestern grainshed. (Michael Fields Agricultural Institute)

WI Program Seeks to Create Resilient Grainshed

A new program is seeking to help Wisconsin's grain farmers build more environmentally and economically resilient operations. The Midwest Grains …

Nearly 40 farmers markets are spread across North Dakota. (Adobe Stock)

Growing Power: ND Communities Urged to Embrace Farmers Markets

In the coming months, North Dakotans will be filling baskets at local farmers markets. As vendors prepare this year's produce, communities around the …

In addition to a state-level public option, a plan to expand MinnesotaCare would offer transitional tax credits for small businesses that provide health coverage. (Adobe Stock)

To Help Small Businesses, MN Explores 'Buy-In' Option for Health Coverage

The Minnesota Senate has voted to extend the state's reinsurance initiative, designed to keep health premium costs lower, but backers of a separate …

The New Mexico Department of Agriculture allows state residents who qualify for a refund on their personal income tax return to donate all or part of it to the Healthy Soil Program enacted in 2019. (aces.nmsu.edu)

New Mexico Spills the Dirt on Healthy Soil Practices

Just three years after the New Mexico Healthy Soil Act was approved by lawmakers, the Land of Enchantment is boasting more "soil health champions" …

Without enough support for sustainable agriculture, some industry groups say extreme weather events will put more pressure on farmers and ranchers, leading to higher food prices. (Adobe Stock)

Climate Report Spurs Calls for Diversity in Ag Production

After last year's extreme drought in states such as North Dakota, a new United Nations report found it will be harder to adapt to future effects …

Many of Illinois' soil and water conservation priorities are laid out in the Nutrient Loss Reduction Strategy, which was released in 2015. (Adobe Stock)

IL Advocates Push for Greater Awareness of Soil Health

Illinois environmental advocates are pushing lawmakers in Springfield to recognize the importance of soil health. The General Assembly is …

Cover cropping offers many benefits in dryland farming in eastern and central Texas. (agrilife.org)

Sustainable Agriculture Gets Boost from New USDA Program

The federal government is adding financial support for farmers in Texas and across the U.S. to adopt climate-friendly practices. This month, the U.S…

Colorado allows private landowners to benefit financially when they set aside lands for conservation. (Adobe Stock)

Landowners Embrace Conservation as Financial Boon, Family Legacy

Landowners in Colorado could play a major role in President Joe Biden's efforts to conserve 30% of the nation's undeveloped lands by 2030, and make …

When it comes to sustainable agriculture, North Dakota ranks in the middle of the pack for practices such as cover crops. But it has made big gains in recent years. (Adobe Stock)

USDA Program Adds New Twists to Selling Sustainable Agriculture

Farmers in North Dakota and across the U.S. have been encouraged to adopt climate-friendly practices. The federal government is adding financial …

Summit Carbon Solutions is proposing what's been described as one of the world's largest carbon capture projects in the world. (Adobe Stock)

Landowner Rights at Center of IA's Carbon Pipeline Debate

Eminent-domain concerns are a focal point as Iowa considers the idea of allowing underground pipelines to transfer carbon dioxide for storage…

Radio Tierra has been on the air in the Columbia River Gorge since 2004. (yooranpark/Adobe Stock)

Bilingual Station Keeps Columbia Gorge Farmworkers Up to Date

A unique radio station in the Columbia River Gorge provides information in English and Spanish, on topics ranging from the environment to immigration…

Many of the farmworkers in Oregon near the Columbia River Gorge work in orchards. (Kirk/Adobe Stock)

Radio Station Shares Bilingual News with Gorge Farmworkers